YORUBA RONU By Late Chief Hubert Ogunde and the English Translation By Silas Ola Abayomi.

YORUBA RONU

By

Late Chief Hubert Ogunde
and the English Translation

By

Silas Ola Abayomi.

Mo wo Ile Aye o, aye sa mala mala;
Mo ma b’oju w’orun okunkun losu bo’le;
Mo ni eri eyi o, kini sele si Yoruba omo Alade,

kini sele si Yoruba omo Odua;
Ye, ye, ye, yeye, ye awa mase hun, oro nla nbe;
Yoruba nse r’awon nitori Owó,
Yoruba jin r’awon l’ese nitori ipò;
Won gbebi f’alare, won gba’re f’elebi;
Won pe olè ko wa ja, won tun pe oloko wa mu;
Ogbon ti won gbon lo gbe won de Ilé Olà,
ogbon na lo tun padawa si tunde won mole;
Awon ti won ti n s’Oga lojo to ti pe,
tun pada wa d’eni a n f’owo ti s’eyin.
Yo, yo, yo, Yoruba yo yo yo bi ina ale;
Yoruba ru ru ru bi Omi Òkun;

Yoruba baba nse…Yo yo Yoruba ronu o!

Yoruba so’ra won di boolu f’araye gba;
To n ba gba won soke, won a tun gba’won s’isale o;
Eya ti o ti kere te le ni won ge kuru;
Awon ti ale f’ejo sun, ti di eni ati jo;
Yoruba joko sile regede, won fi owo l’owo;
Bi Agutan ti Abore n bo orisa re o!
Yo yo Yoruba r’onu o!

Ori ki ma i buru titi, ko bu ogun odun;
Leyin okunkun biribiri, Imole a tan;
Ejeka pe Olodumare, ka pe Oba lu Aye;

k’ayewa le dun ni igbehin, igbein lalayo;
Ile mo pe o, Ile dakun gbawa o, Ile o;
Ile ogere, a f’okó yeri…ile!
Alapo Ìkà, o te rere ka ibi…ile!
Ogba ragada bi eni yeye mi omo adaru pale
Oge…Ile, dakun gba wa o…Ile!
Ibi ti n pa Ika l’enu mo…ile!
Aate i ka, o ko ti a pe Ile…Ile!
Ogbamu, gbamu oju Eledumare ko mase
gbamu lowo aye…Ile…dakungba wa o…Ile

Ehen, ehen awa gbe ori ile yi pe o;
Eni ba dale, a ba ile lo…peregede o…

ehen ehen awa gbe ori ile yi pe o;
Oduduwa bawa tun ile yi se o…to’wo,
t’omo o…ehen…awa gbe ori ile yi pe o;
Oduduwa da wa l’are o, kaa si maa r’ere je o…
ehen awa gbe ori ile yi pe o!
yo yo yo Yoruba ronu o!

               

The English Translation of Yoruba Ronu

Musical & Poetic rendition

of

Late Chief Hubert Ogunde

Translation

by

Silas Ola Abayomi.

Yoruba Nation-Be Cogitative:

I look upon the earth

the earth looks very stale,
faded, and fallow ,
I gaze into the sky, the earth is
covered in darkness;
then I say: yes (ehen) yes (ehen).
What has happened to Yorubas,
oh! The Princes
what has become of Yoruba-
the children of Oduduwa
Chorus: very sorry-yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yorubas have become enemies of

themselves because of money,
Yorubas are betraying themselves
because of position;
judgment, they reverse-
declare guilty innocent, and
innocent guilty.

They will invite robber to rob-

also, inform farm owner
to make arrest,
their wisdom-once-
backbone of their success,
same wisdom and knowledge,
today’s albatross;
a pacesetter and frontrunner for years,
same people now are back-benchers,
watching from the rear;
Oh! Oh!! Oh!!! Yoruba be reflective and reasonable.

Yoruba-like nightlight-they shine

Yoruba-like sea waves-they swell and
rise;
Yoruba, forever, father and old wise
one you shall be.
Chorus: Oh! Oh!! Oh!!!
Yoruba, be Cogitative.

Yoruba turn themselves to football,

everyone tosses up and down,
if toss up, they toss down,
a small race before, now reduce
by half,
elders we should consult for
comfort,
now are inconsequential and
de minimis;
on the floor, they sit with
hands on jaws,
confused without knowledge of
what to do,
like a sacrificial lamb to
mother earth in hands of a priest,
they are.
Chorus: Oh! Oh!! Oh!!!
Yoruba, be reflective and reasonable.

Never shall innocent soul suffers

indefinitely,
after darkness comes sunshine,
let’s call on God, the King of
universe-that it may go well
with us at the end,
as game changes pattern toward
the end;
mother earth, I call you-
please, rescue us-mother earth.

Slippery land, natural barber with
instrument of hoe,
owner, bag of cruelty, spread to
check evil;
spread-on-mat, mother who sprays
ashes to heal the earth,
Chorus: mother earth, please rescue us.

One who restrains and shuts down

evil doer,
irremovable life-long mat, name of
mother earth,
untouchable and unreachable, no one
dare look, gaze at Creator’s face;
Chorus: mother earth, rescue us,
yes, yes, forever, we shall live on
our land.

Whoever betrays shall be paid

in same coin,
Chorus: yes, we shall live on
this land forever.
Oduduwa, correct matters for us,
give us wealth and inheritance,
Chorus: we shall live on this
land forever,
Oduduwa, bless us
that we may be successful
in our engagements and undertakings;
Chorus: we shall live forever on this
Land.